Month: December 2024

One of the best Scriptures to combat this statement is found in II Timothy 1:7 where the Apostle Paul exhorts the naturally timid & young Timothy to boldness and faithfulness. “For God did not give us a Spirit of fear, but a Spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” Sprinkled throughout the Bible God tells us to not be afraid, but we are still often seized with the paralyzing anticipation of harm or danger. That’s when it’s the time to pray, for it tells us in Isaiah 40:29, “He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might He increases strength.”…and if we add on Colossians 1:11, “Being strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might…” We can realize that we may be fearful… but we are also undergirded by the Holy Spirit’s power & strength to move forward boldly.

The first thing we need to determine is the thing we lack a need or a want. When Paul addressed the Church in Phillipi, (Philippians 4:19) he wasn’t focusing on his needs being met by God through the Church’s resources, but rather that their giving of gifts was an act of worship & pleasing to God. Bottom line is, God gives that we may give to others, not the other way around. In II Corinthians 9:8 it tells us, “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” So again, our focus should not be on our “wants” like the latest phone, designer clothes, or a new car, but on God suppling our needs in order that we would have the freedom from fixating on material possessions, thus setting our hearts free to share with others.

As we look forward to the coming new year, many will make resolutions…so for the next week we’ll look at negative statements we make all the time and God’s Word that counters them.

First off, no, you probably can’t do it…but God can. Philippians 4:13 is explicit, “I can do all things through Him Who strengthens me.” And Paul continued to declare this in II Corinthians 12:9 and I Timothy 1:12, reminding the Church that God’s power was made perfect in his weakness and thanking God for giving him the strength. When we rely on Christ’s power and follow His example, we’re able to face all circumstances with peace in our hearts. For despite our human weaknesses, God’s Gospel of grace & mercy will accomplish His plan & purpose in our life. I can’t under my own strength…but with God’s help, I can do anything.

The simple truth is, we become like those whose company we keep. Or as I Corinthians 15:33 reminds us, “Bad company corrupts good character.” Sure, we smugly think the antics of those questionable friends of ours won’t rub off on us…but they do, and it’s our integrity that will suffer for it. That’s why Proverbs 12:26 wisely tells us that a righteous man is cautious in friendship…because honestly, we’re known by the friends we keep.

Sometimes our brokenness is also a time of God’s greatest restoration. Ok, follow me for a moment with this one. Occasionally, we have to tear something down in order to build something new…and this isn’t more vividly demonstrated than a major remodeling project in our home. There’s the demolition with all its mess…there’s the inconvenience, frustration, and weeks of living like nomads in your own home…not to mention the aggravation of cooking only with a microwave & doing dishes in the bathtub. But in the end, we have the kitchen of our dreams, and all is well with our life. When Peter wrote this passage, he was encouraging all of us to look at those rough patches as a chance for growth…an ever-deepening fellowship with Christ as our understanding & faith grows.

It’s probably better to ask the Lord for wisdom than patience. For wisdom will enable us to remain calm…employing Godly discipline, self-control, and discretion rather than flying off the handle in a huff. Wisdom will also allow us to forgive rather than take offense at every little insult. So, patience requires wisdom to forgive without a spoken word…a deep breath and then a release of the self-perceived slight…for our good and His glory.

His tiny cry cut through the night sky…proclaiming that God had come to earth. The plan of Redemption realized for all mankind.

And on that hill of Golgotha, His cry of “It is finished!” was not uttered in defeat but rather in victory… as the Temple curtain was torn from top to bottom…allowing all to enter the Holy of Holies and have true fellowship with God.

And someday soon, His all-powerful cry will fill the entire earth & sky as He returns. There will be no question, there will be no doubt, there will be no argument. And as the heavens are torn apart by His mighty voice, every knee shall bow, and every tongue will confession that Jesus is Lord.

There are well over 300 prophecies about the coming of Jesus in the Old Testament, all covering different aspects of His life – from birth to resurrection. What’s so amazing, is that starting in Genesis and throughout the rest of the Old Testament, we can see the prophesies, followed by the fulfillment of them in the New Testament. From Samuel to Isaiah, from Jeremiah to Daniel and many of the other minor prophets, Jesus took their words and made them come alive. The last prophecy is found in Malachi, the last Book of the Old Testament, which points to new beginnings…but the length of time between it and fulfillment was over 400 years…also called the Intertestamental Period or The Years of Silence. How many Servants of God do you think spent their whole lives waiting, but never seeing God’s Words fulfilled…wondering if they had even heard God correctly or if their ministry had made a difference?

These gentlemen weren’t kings but rather the wisest men of the time. They were also called Magi, referring to a priestly caste in Persia, where it is supposed they traveled from. The men were scholars, astrologers, seers, and fortunetellers…and very well versed in all types of ancient writings. No doubt they had poured over the Pentateuch and the many prophecies of the coming Messiah and His star, so when this brilliant orb rose in the night sky, they immediately remembered Numbers 24:17, “I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel.” and organized an expedition to find this Messiah spoken of. Despite their culture and religion, they came in respect and honor, familiar with Daniel’s prophecy of the Anointed One. (Daniel 9:24-27) And with them, they brought Gold, representing a royal gift afforded to Kings…Frankincense, representing His Divinity…and Myrrh, representing Jesus’ humanity and foretelling His death and burial. These unnamed Magi traveled many miles out of curiosity and desire to connect the dots of ancient prophecy…and they found it in a stable manger.

If there was a more unlikely bunch of people to be used of God…it would have been the shepherds. They were men from the other side of the tracks, despised, and often rendered unclean by the priests…a group of misfits and social outcasts who would probably prefer to talk to a herd dog than a human. But yet, this humble group were chosen of God to receive the most powerful news in human history…the birth of Jesus. These unnamed men were first-hand witnesses to the brilliant night show as the heavenly host of angels broke out in song announcing Christ’s birth. They were also the first to see the star that led them to the manger in Bethlehem. In the world’s eyes they were marginalized & scorned as worthless…but in God’s eyes, their job description actually became the whole of Jesus’ ministry…”I am the good shepherd.” (John 10:11)